Bird flu confirmed in Southern Elephant Seals on Australia’s sub-Antarctic Heard Island

Heard Island, photograph by Barbara Wienecke

The Australian Senator The Hon Murray Watt, Minister for the Environment and Water and the Hon Julie Collins MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry have announced that Testing has confirmed the presence of the H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (H5 bird flu) in samples collected from Southern Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina on Heard Island – a sub-Antarctic Australian external territory.

“Samples were collected after Australian Antarctic Program scientists observed unusual levels of mortality in elephant seals during a recent management voyage to Heard Island.  Testing was conducted by the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong after the samples were securely packaged and arrived in Australia on Monday 17 November aboard RSV Nuyina.”

Wildlife ecologists taking samples from deceased animals at Atlas Cove, Heard Island, photograph by Rowena Hannaford

“Testing confirmed the presence of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza clade 2.3.4.4b virus in these samples.  There were no observations of unusual mortality in other species present on the island, including penguins and other seabirds.  A second voyage to Heard Island, scheduled to arrive late December, will be important to gather further information about wildlife health.”

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 27 November 2025